Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the modified intent‐to‐treat population*
| 1‐week MTX hold group (n = 90) | 2‐week MTX hold group (n = 88) | Healthy control group (n = 62) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 80 (88.9) | 73 (83.0) | 50 (80.6) |
| Age, mean ± SD years | 57.9 ± 12.5 | 58.7 ± 10.8 | 54.1 ± 13.3 |
| Duration of RA, mean ± SD years | 11.1 ± 8.1 | 9.9 ± 6.9 | – |
| Body mass index, mean ± SD kg/m2 | 23.2 ± 3.6 | 23.2 ± 3.6 | 24.6 ± 4.0 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 5 (5.6) | 7 (8.0) | 8 (12.9) |
| Hypertension | 33 (36.7) | 21 (23.9) | 15 (24.2) |
| Smoking, ever smoked | 16 (17.8) | 13 (14.8) | 14 (22.6) |
| RF positivity | 71/90 (78.9) | 64/88 (72.7) | – |
| Anti‐CCP positivity | 73/88 (83.0) | 61/84 (72.6) | – |
| DAS28‐CRP score, mean ± SD | 2.2 ± 1.1 | 2.3 ± 1.0 | – |
| Treatment | |||
| GC | 39 (43.3) | 42 (47.7) | – |
| GC dose, mean ± SD mg/day | 3.9 ± 1.8 | 4.3 ± 1.9 | – |
| MTX | 90 (100) | 88 (100) | – |
| MTX dose, mean ± SD mg/week | 12.6 ± 3.4 | 12.9 ± 3.3 | – |
| Sulfasalazine | 5 (5.6) | 7 (8.0) | – |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 23 (25.6) | 25 (28.4) | – |
| Leflunomide | 17 (18.9) | 18 (20.5) | – |
| Tacrolimus | 1 (1.1) | 3 (3.4) | – |
| Biologic DMARDs | |||
| TNF inhibitor | 12 (13.3) | 4 (4.5) | – |
| Abatacept | 3 (3.3) | 1 (1.1) | – |
| Tocilizumab | 1 (1.1) | 4 (4.5) | – |
| Rituximab | 0 | 1 (1.1) | – |
| JAK inhibitor | 3 (3.3) | 5 (5.7) | – |
*
Except where indicated otherwise, values are the number (%) of people/group. MTX = methotrexate; RA = rheumatoid arthritis; RF = rheumatoid factor; anti‐CCP = anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide; DAS28‐CRP = Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using C‐reactive protein; GC = glucocorticoid; DMARDs = disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs; TNF = tumor necrosis factor.